Mohave County miner., 1887-01-29
A NORTHERN LEGEND.

reindeer robes that separated me from
the most curious OF all cotaches. bed OF
Sow, while the half fiickering light
from native stone lamp that looked
like half Of huge claln-shell, With the
struggling bits Of light along It's edge,
threw its yellow. janndiccd haes against
a number OF queer faees--fat, dalIipy
ones that locked like o.,tse Mongolians
PAINTED up TO imitats ths facial hues OF
our own Indians. Back OF this group
OF E4guif.ianx--for such they were
we're the weirdly white walls of the
SLOW house, making the domicils loiik
not unlike little oval-domed, egg. shaped
pen built OF tombstones. The little chill
drcn were asleep in coy corner, un-
der the reindeer robes. great shaggy
black maskox skin being between them
and the @ells of sas snow house, while
tile few Eyauimau men in the place were
sitting on tlie e,lge of bel Of snow,
lkeir feet swathed in skins. dangling
down TO the floor Of the same white ma
| te.sal, where few dogs were pSying
.Iieir noses around 10 catch a bit of seal
or walrus meat: or they were sitting q
Ia Turk upon it, all of them with their
arms Withdrawn from the sleeves os
! their coats and crossed upon their bare
breasts underneath, and each aud every
me enjoying pipe OF tobacco while
ri.us warming their hands.
As the white smoke lazily assembled
and driftea away through the little holes
~ the top OF the walls OF snow. heard
| tie group. one by one, tell their curioiis
storiss of the boseai chase, their dangers
| "a the a)cs Of ice, AMI the myths and
escads OF tho great north Land. and one
81 them, TIC legaad Of an OLD walrl4s-
| hunter Of the tribe. ] must tell:
Far, far in the mythical past, when
J the ancestors OF the iunuits, or Esqsn.
/ ,naux, first came to this land, the blasts
af winter and its weary leagnes Of ice
| and snow were unknown. GUNNER
| reigned throughout the year, and tie
walrus crawlei upon the rocky islets
and the stopping shores, instead Of cakes
! and vast foes Of ice. and were there Sc
cured by the merry hearted hunters.
| srho never knew of famine from the
fic..le storms of winter. Seals sported
IN the pretty little fiords. and with
| spears and light akin canoes they aua-
! cessfuliy hanted them the year round.
| Flowers grew upon the banks OF the
! lakes, and ice was unknown upon their
/ waters. willie in myriad droves the elder
| duck and gIIiiiemot and snowy goos'
fcaied upon their bosoms. and their
clamororis voices filled the air. From
lake to lake their many droves wand.
1 ierei at their pleasure, bat southwark
| they never had to so to avoid the cold.
I or because their swimming p aces were
covered with ice; and their garriilons
| clatter could be heard in aaF month IN
| tlIs year. Clouds never darkened th"
I sky, and the sun nevrrSrt, bat swun-
around the horizon, unflimmed b.
inists. like some slsepless sentinel
guarding a sacred spot. IL was the
grandest time the earth had ever seen,
30 all agreed. even the beasts and the
| birds AMI those that iiveI under the
waters along the land. and 50 though.
| tho poor Inuuits Gas the Esquimaux call
thetHse!yes>. who had colIe from far.
III shore. hesglats AMI devoid OF all
such brightness ali plenty,
! "Who reigns ia this fair land" asked
oGT Inngit forfathe-s OF the peaceful!
| inhabitants. The deity we now worship
| Ne.ah.tut. tho cider duck. although
| so have ha1 many before. but then .he
| country was Eever so prosperous under
them. Oace ruied the reindeerS' god,
/ Jll: to- please them he made all the water
INTO laid bearing sweet grasses for them
| to eat, anil all tins LAKES were made int
mere p pIdGles, where the reindeer could
drink. ami evefytii:ng was given to
| grass. 80 th. seal and tue walrus and the
| polar bsar suffered more than the rem
| deer gaine!. Tien the god OF the whales
ruled over all, and the waters com.
| menced creeping up over tho land to
please them. AM soon everything thereon
x1uld have been destroyed had not the
musk oxen succeeded him, ani back
! again iaopelsel the lard. uatil the poor
| seal and warns were once more Ill
agony for a place to rest. until Tornar
AK. chief Gsh-oo-mut tik) Of all the g0Is.
| ntari their cries, AMI left the many
| isnis he riied to place ruler over this
| shat would do better. The deiiies OF all
| the animals and birds and insects presseG
their claims to rule. aid everyone thought
surely the coDtest would be narrowed
fiogn to choice among tho more ag-
gressive animals aad birds, but all were
dEm! ounded AMI surprised 70 see the
uoieBt elder duck selected from the
,,,.,..,E ,t,rn,,,, Ma- nh. .tr,tr said Tnrn1r.
suk, needs many lakes in which to breed
1al raise her young. and this creates
great deal of land to incloss the lakes.
and On this land wonid grow the grass
for the grazing animals. The ssa and it's
;Hlets and it's floods would be needed. for
here the uIlgrown elders love 10 con-
gre5ate and swim upon the dancing
waves. and the seal and the narwhal and
the walrus need not lament.
So the deity OF the elder ducks was
made gcd Of 2ll. Tornarsuk remained
among them TO zee the effect, and co
great vas the contentment and 80 pleased
were all that when he left he told them
that Inc expected it would be- q long time
i,efore he again visited them, SO sure
was he Of their continued happiness.
and lie has never yet returned. Such
was the unbOunded era Of happiness
when the first Innuits had come. an era
which was glsdiy hailed, and with
loyalty they att ,ched themselves to the
worship and respect of their new sover.
eign. They hal left behind them dual
deity good and bad, united in one, and lie